threat to block oil exports from the Persian Gulf.VA-195 was redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron 195 (VFA-195) on 1 April 1985 and commenced transition to the F/A-18A Hornet. The first of 12 new Lot 8 F/A-18As were delivered to the squadron in October, 1985. In 1986 VFA-195 was assigned to the newly established CVW-10. This wing was to deploy on CV-62, and it was given the old CVW-19 tail code "NM". However, CVW-10 was never deployed. VFA-195 was the only squadron of this wing that was not disestablished in 1987. Instead, VFA-195 was reassigned to CVW-5 aboard CV-41, when CVW-5's fighter squadrons transitioned from the F-4S Phantom II and the A-7E Corsair to the F/A-18 Hornet. VFA-195 joined the Forward Deployed Naval Forces in U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan with the first aircraft arriving at NAF Atsugi on November 14, 1986. In 1987, the squadron completed two short Westpac cruises aboard USS Midway, from January to March 20 and April 23 to July 13, with port calls in Subic Bay, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Sydney, Australia. From November 1987 to February 1988, the squadron participated in Operation Earnest Will, the escorting of reflagged Kuwaiti tankers through the Persian Gulf. In late 1988 and again in 1989, the squadron embarked aboard USS Midway and made deployments to the Indian Ocean, along with several shorter deployments in the Western Pacific. 1990s VFA-195 was deployed aboard USS Midway when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm the squadron flew 564 combat missions, delivering 356 tons of ordnance. During the war (possibly on January 24, 1991) VFA-195 became the first Hornet squadron and first CVW-5 squadron to deliver a Walleye II glide bomb in combat during an air strike against the Iraqi Navy's HQ at Umm Qasr. During the strike, LCDR. Jeffery S. Ashby guided his Walleye II into the T shaped building at Umm Qasr Naval Base. The next day, F-14s equipped with TARPS confirmed the Walleye hit was a success and a strike that was planned the next day was cancelled.About three to four weeks into the war, LCDR. Ashby was about to lead a major six to eight plane strike against a communications building in the northern end of Basra, Iraq. Intelligence had been alerted by the presence of an Iraqi Super Frelon Helicopter fitted with Exocet ASM missiles. On February 13, 1991, LCDR. Ashby flying